Fighting the Flu

As a country the latest data suggests we are far from being over the flu, with the number of cases spiking sharply throughout the first week of February. Deaths from flu-related complications and hospitalizations among children and the elderly remain high.

So far, 20 children have died from the influenza virus. One of the most important take aways from this data is that it's still not too late to get a flu shot if you have not already done so. This is especially critical for the vulnerable population which includes the chronically ill, the very young, the elderly and pregnant women.

Experts say it would have been better to have gotten vaccinated in October, but it's still helpful to go get a shot now.

The CDC recommends that anybody aged six months or older get a flu shot, and that mothers of newborns should get it to help protect their infants who are too young.

In a typical flu season, complications from the virus send more than 200,000 Americans to the hospital.